Kocijančič appointed head of European Olympic Committees

Ljubljana, 5 December - Slovenia's Janez Kocijančič was confirmed the full-fledged president of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) as the only candidate at the November election congress in Zagreb, Croatia. The 76-year-old former head of the Slovenian Olympic Committee (1991-2014), who is joining UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin as the second Slovenian to head a major international sports organisation, had been the EOC's temporary leader since August 2016. He stepped in as the oldest vice-president when EOC boss Pat Hickey was apprehended as part of an investigation into illegal resale of Olympic tickets in Rio. Kocijančič has announced an organisationally and financially stronger European Olympic movement and a more aggressive fight against doping and other aberrations in sports. Along with serving as a sports official, Kocijančič has also been involved in Slovenian business and politics, being the predecessor to Borut Pahor at the helm of the party known today as Social Democrats (SD).

LjubljanaJanez Kocijančič, the only candidate for president of the European Olympic Committees.Photo: Stanko Gruden/STAFile photo